Puzzle Piece Fundraiser/Home Study Update

We had a few more people buy puzzle pieces this week.  We still need about $450 in order to pay for our home study.  We are in the process of applying for an adoption loan and a local grant.  Hopefully we will have enough funds to begin our home study soon. 

Once our home study is completed, we will be able to apply for several more adoption grants.  Most grants require that the home study be completed before an application can be processed.  So we are hopeful to get our home study completed soon. 

We are trusting in God's timing during this adoption process.  We are confident that we will be able to raise what we need for this adoption and that we will get our sweet little baby in His perfect timing.  We don't know at this point whether it will be a little brother or a little sister for Claudia and Gus, but we are excited to find out! 

Sadly, we have had some negativity towards us beginning this adoption.  Join with us in praying for those who have not seen eye to eye with us on adoption.  The negativity has not swayed our commitment to the child that God is preparing for us and overall, we have had many encouraging words from friends and family. 

Adoption is a beautiful picture of how we are adopted into our Heavenly Father's kingdom through Jesus.  We are His adopted children.  We cannot wait to welcome our sweet, little one into our family just as God welcomed us into His family.

Thank you for being on this journey with us! 

Puzzle Fundraiser Update

We have 26 puzzle pieces so far in our puzzle!  That leaves 474 pieces still available.  :)

For those who gave towards our adoption before our puzzle fundraiser began, your name has been put on a puzzle piece.  We want our child to know every person and family who helps us bring him or her home to us.

We still need $474 for our home study.  We have almost two-thirds of the cost raised for our home study, and we are very thankful for that.  Once our home study is completed, we could get a call about a baby at any time.  So we will be starting several more fundraisers as we get closer to summer. 

It is exciting and humbling to be going through this process with our family and friends.  We are not alone in this, and it is encouraging and strengthening for us.  We really could not do this without you! 

This is the picture of our puzzle so far.  We look forward to updating it as we have people buy more pieces.  If you would like to buy a puzzle piece, click on our YouCaring link on this blog.  Thank you!  

Puzzle Fundraiser

Our first fundraiser is ready!  We are beginning a puzzle fundraiser that will continue until the puzzle is complete.  See below for a picture of what the finished puzzle will look like. 

This is how the fundraiser works:  An individual or family will buy a puzzle piece (or pieces) for $10 each.  Each puzzle piece purchased will have the name of the individual or family written on the back.  As the pieces are purchased, we will begin assembling the puzzle.  We will be updating our blog with the progress of the puzzle as it is formed.  After the puzzle is completed, we will frame the puzzle between two pieces of glass and hang it in our baby’s room so that when he or she is older, they can see who helped bring them home to us. 

We appreciate the support and hope to be able to begin our home study soon!  After a puzzle piece is purchased, the individual or family’s name will be added to our "Wonderful Donors" list on this blog. 

Three ways to buy a puzzle piece:

1.  Click on our YouCaring link below.  Just click on the “Give Now” link and in the comment box put that you are buying a puzzle piece (or pieces).   

https://www.youcaring.com/GoldsmithAdoption

2.  Write a check or donate cash and hand deliver to Joey or Jen.
             (Checks can be made payable to us).

3.  Mail a check to us (email me at jengoldsmith22@gmail.com for our address if you don’t have it).

Thanks so much for your support through prayers, words of encouragement, and donations!

 

Home Study and Adoption Portfolio

We continue to move forward in the adoption process.  We finished the draft of our adoption portfolio today.  Our agency will review it and recommend any changes that may be needed.  We also now have almost half of the funds needed to get our home study done.  Once our home study is completed, we will be ready to welcome a sweet, little one into our home for good.  It will just be waiting on the baby that God picked out for our family. 

We will continue fundraising after our home study funds are raised because the home study is only a small portion of what we need to raise for the adoption.  The total approximate cost for the adoption is around $18,000.  So we have a long way to go, but we are confident we can get there.

Thank you to those of you who have donated already.  We appreciate it so much!  It is encouraging and exciting!  Our donors are listed on our "Wonderful Donors" Page of this blog.  See the "Pages" link. 

Please pray as we continue to move forward in this process.  We are excited to be where we are.  Claudia is so excited that we have started this process.  She is going through her room and finding toys and other things that she doesn't need or use anymore to donate to our yard sale fundraiser that we hope to do sometime this coming summer.  She loves being Gus' big sister and is excited to be a big sister to another little baby sometime in the near future. 

We have had some financial setbacks in the last month or so (car repairs, home heating repairs, our dog getting hit by a car, unexpected medical bills) that have hindered us being able to pay for the home study ourselves.  We are trusting that the funds will be provided another way and in God's perfect timing.  I have a difficult time trusting God when it comes to finances.  During these last few weeks, I am slowly seeing myself start to give our finances over to our Father and not try to find my security in what we have.  I have a long way to go, but it's encouraging to see a little bit of a heart change for me in this area.  Please pray that I will continue to trust God to provide what we need in every aspect of our lives and for me to be content with what we have and where we are. 

Thank you again for the support we are getting from so many...through words of encouragement, prayer, and financial help.  We really cannot do this without others helping us, encouraging us, and coming alongside us.  That is what is so beautiful about this adoption process ...it's living out the Gospel in a real way.  So thank you! 

If you would like to give towards our adoption, click on the YouCaring link on this blog page.  Thank you again! :)

We paid the retainer for our adoption agency this morning so the next step is our home study.  We need to raise money to pay for the home study before we can begin.  I will be posting information about our first fundraiser in the next few days, but in the meantime, if you would like to donate to help us fund our home study, please go to our YouCaring link below and click on “Give Now.”

https://www.youcaring.com/GoldsmithAdoption

 
Joey and I have been talking and planning for this adoption for a long time, and we are excited that it is finally time to get it started.  We have so many people who have already expressed support in our decision to adopt, and we appreciate that so much.  The cost is overwhelming at times, but we know that if this is part of God’s plan for us, then He will provide the funds we need to bring our baby home.  We are not yet to the point in the process where we have been matched with a baby so we aren’t sure if our baby is a girl or a boy, but we can’t wait to find out. :)

Welcome to our adoption blog!  We are very excited to be starting the process!  We will be fundraising throughout the adoption process, including our home study.  We will be keeping everyone updated on where we are in the adoption and what fundraisers we are doing. 

To begin with, we have set up a website on YouCaring.com in order for friends and family to be able to donate if you would like to.  The link to our YouCaring website is below. 

We appreciate your prayers as we begin this journey.  We are excited, but there is much to do before we get to meet our little one. 

youcaring.com/goldsmithadoption